Women’s soccer can be credited for revitalizing the sport in America. Soccer is still not as popular in the US as the other sports, but the traction the beautiful game is gaining is unquestionable. With the evolution of the NWSL, MLS, and legends choosing the USA, including Lionel Messi, the popularity is on the rise. But Lindsey Horan’s comments about most fans in the country ‘not being smart’ didn’t go well with ex-USMNT star, Alexi Lalas. However, USWNT legend Carli Lloyd had her say regarding the NT captain’s words, citing cultural aspects.

Speaking to Lalas recently on his State of the Union podcast, the 2x World Cup winner felt that Horan’s opinion comes because of her wider experience of playing soccer. Lloyd said, “You know, I understand the message that she was trying to state. I mean, she plays overseas. She played early on in her career in her youth days and now is at Lyon again. And I think just the culture and the education as far as the tactical aspect of the game is viewed differently”, citing the difference in analytical perceptions between the two regions.

Horan spent a considerable amount of her club career in Europe. Playing in Paris Saint-Germain for four years and later at Lyon, where she won the UEFA Champions League in 2022. Earlier this year she said, “American soccer fans, most of them aren’t smart. They don’t know the game. They don’t understand. (But) it’s getting better and better,” while even calling out her mother for appreciating her performance, despite her not doing well.

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Meanwhile, Lloyd felt that she could have expressed it better, saying, “Probably wasn’t the best choice of words that she used. I still keep in touch with Lindsey a lot, we text a lot, big fan of hers obviously, loved playing with her.” But also stated how different thoughts can be between two regions. However, Lalas voted against Horan’s opinion.

Unlike Carli Lloyd, Alexi Lalas confronted Lindsey Horan

Alexi Lalas confronted Lindsey Horan’s jibe by saying that during this phase of growth for the sport, the Lyon forward’s words weren’t needed. He earlier commented, “So, not satisfied with already turning off many Americans who don’t watch soccer, evidently the USWNT has now set their sights on turning off many Americans who do watch soccer. Bold strategy,” claiming that it wasn’t good for the sport, and potentially discouraged fans.

Meanwhile, Carli Lloyd defended Horan’s intent by giving an idea of how the USA thinks of soccer. She said that the fraternity is more ‘statistical driven’ and analyzes performance based more on the numbers. In Europe, people look for players ‘who pulled off the strings’ and add an extra dimension to the gameplay. Hence, the Olympic winner felt that this difference could have prompted her to give such a statement.

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Overall, the debate still seems to be ongoing about Lindsey Horan’s opinion. Nevertheless, the USWNT is back on track winning the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, which is another step in narrowing the distance between the fans and the sport. And despite disagreement, both parties are still contributing to the sport.

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